Automatic safety railway-switch



(No Hadel.) 2 Sheets- Sheet 1.

H. 0.0. GRUHLK-E. AUTOMATIC SAFETY RAILWAY SWITCH.

'No. 489,583. Patented Jan. 10, 1893..

2 -Sheets--Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

H.G.'0.GR'U-HLKE-;- AUTOMATIC SAFETY RAILWAY SWITCH.

Patented Jan. 10, 1893.

lnveiz for I/Viineases.

UNrTEn STATES PATENT @rrrlca HENRY O. O GRUI ILKE, OF MORRIS, ILLINOIS.

AUTOMATIC SAFETY RAILWAY-SWITCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 489,583, dated January10, 1893. Application filed July 6, 1892. Serial No. 439,099- (N0model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY O. O. GRUHLKE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Morris, in the county of Grundy and State of Illinois, haveinvented a new and useful Improvement in Automatic Safety Railroad-Switches, of which the following is. a specification.

My invention relates to an automatic safety railroad switch.

- The object of my invention is the production of a switch, which, ifaccidentally left open, will be automatically closed by the approach ofa train from either direction on the main line before the train arrivesat the switch.

My invention will first be fully described in connection with theaccompanying drawings, and then pointed out in the claim.

Figures 1 and 1 taken together form a plan view of my invention. Figs. 2and 2'" taken together form a side elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is aperspective detail view of the looking mechanism.

Figs. 1 and 1 will be referred to hereinafter as Fig. 1, and Figs. 2 and2 Will be referred to hereinafter as Fig. 2.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, A are rails of a main line, B are rails of aturnout, O are guard rails and D is a frog. E are switchpoints connectedby the rods F and spiked down at Gin the ordinary manner. H is athrow-bar attached to the under side of the switch-points E at theirtoes, and having its ends extended beneath and beyond the rails A inorder to adapt it for use when the switch is placed on either side ofthe track. To one end, 71,, in the present instance, is pivoted aslide-bar I notched in its upper surface at t as clearly shown in Fig. 3and to this slidebar is pivoted one end of a link K, the other end ofwhich is pivoted to a crank Z formed on the lower end of a shaft L whichis bent upward to form a hand -lever Z, as clearly shown in Fig. 2.Shaft L is journaled at m to an ordinary switch-stand M. lhe switch isheld normally closed by two springs N, one on each side of the maintrack, which actuate rods 0 passing through holes in casings P, whichare broken away in Fig. 1 to show the springs N and rods 0.

Slot-bar I passes through a transverse slideway q in a casing Q whichhas above it alon gitudinal slideway q as shown in dotted lines inFig. 1. Through this slideway q passes a locking-bar R, in the underside of which'are two notches r, r, between which is a plain centralportion 1, as shown in Fig. 3.

To the ends of locking-bar R are attached rods S, S which extendparallel. with the main track and some distance each side of the pointof switch, being supported by keepers T. The outer extremities of theserods S, S are connected by links U to cranks o, 1) formed on the ends ofrock-shafts V, V journaled at NV. The other ends of these rock-shaftsare bent upward to form levers c which are pivotally connected to theends of curved contact-bars X, X whose other ends are pivoted toguide-bars 00, to sliding in guides Y, Y. Rods S, S are actuated bysprings Z, Z which tend to keep the locking-bar I in such a positionthat its plain central portion 1 will be in the middle of thelongitudinal slideway q and will engage notch '6 in slide-bar I when theswitch is opened, thereby preventing the closing of the latter by thepressure of the springs N. It is apparent from Fig. 3 that when thelocking-bar is drawn in either direction the plain central portion 1will be drawn out of the notch c' in slide-bar I and one or the other ofslots 1", 0' will come in line with the slide-bar I, releasing thelatter and permitting the springs N to close the switch. \Vhen the rodsS, S are drawn in either direction for the purpose of so actuating thelocking-bar, one or the other of springs Z, Z will be compressed andretained in that position by the slide -bar I engaging one or the otherof the notches r or r in the locking-bar.

2. is a hand crank-lever for moving the locking-bar R by hand.

In Fig. 2, dis a representation in dotted lines of a car or engine truckon the main line, having a stud t fastened at right angles to the trackand projecting some distance out. On this stud is a roller 5 adapted toengage contact-bars X, X when the switch is open. The normal position ofthe contact-bars when the switch is closed is shown by the dotted lines.In this position they are out of the way of the roller 5 and thereforenot actuated. by a passing train.

In order that the switch may be opened and remain open to permit a trainto enter the turnout when so desired, the contact-bars X are locatedmore than a train length from the switch and the rod S extended to them.By bringing the train between the contact-bars X and the switch beforeopening the latter, the train can be run onto the turnout withoutactuating the automatic mechanism.

The operation of my invention is as follows: The switch is opened bymeans of switch-lever l which draws over the switch points E, throughthe medium of the throw-bar H and slide-bar I, at the same timecompressing the springs N. In this position the switch is held by thelocking-bar R engaging its plain central portion 1 with the notch i inslide-bar I. The switch is closed by drawing the lockingbar Rlongitudinally in either direction by means of the hand crank-lever 2.If at any time theswitch be accidentally left open it will beautomatically closed by a train coming toward the switch from eitherdirection on the main line, by means of the roller 5 on the enginestriking the curved contact-bars and thereby actuating the rock-shaftsV, V which operate the locking-bar R th rough the medium of rods S, S,forcing the said bar in the same direction as the train is moving,disengaging the slide-bar I and permitting the springs N to close theswitch and thus give a clear main line for the moving train, andpreventing it from being switched onto the turnout.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is

In an automatic switch, the combination, with mechanism for opening theswitch, of a notched slide-bar, a locking-bar for engaging the notch inthe slide-bar to hold the switch open, a rod connected to thelocking-bar, springs for pulling the locking-bar into engagement withthe notch in the slide -bar, a crank-lever, a link connecting thecrank-lever to the rod, contact-bars pivoted at their innor ends to thecrank-lever, guides, guidebars sliding in the guides and pivotallyconnected to the outer ends of the contact-bars, and springs for closingthe switch, substantially as described and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto aflixedmy signature in presence of two witnesses.

HENRY O. O. GRUHLKE.

\Vitnesses:

P. A. ARMSTRONG, S. C. STOUGH.

